Best Selling Ice Cream Flavors In the US

Introduction:

Ice cream is big business in the US. According to the International Dairy Foods Association, over 90 percent of households in the United States purchase ice cream, consuming over 1.5 billion gallons of the frozen treat per year. You could almost say that Americans are addicted to their ice cream. The following is a list of the top five best-selling ice cream flavors in the US.

Vanilla

Vanilla is the all-time best-selling ice cream flavor in the US, with a market share of nearly 28% of all ice cream sold. Vanilla is popular not only for its rich flavor, but also for its ability to combine well with ice cream toppings and sodas in sundaes and floats.

Chocolate

Chocolate is the second best-selling ice cream flavor in the United States, weighing in with over 14% of total ice cream sales. Chocolate ice cream is popular alone, but is also one of the best-selling flavors for milkshakes and other frozen dessert recipes.

Strawberry

Strawberry ice cream is also a big seller, with over 3% of total sales. Strawberry ice cream is often combined with chocolate and vanilla and sold in a single carton labeled "Neapolitan" after the Italian city of Naples, which has a long history of specializing in frozen desserts.

Chocolate Chip

Chocolate chip ice cream nearly ties with strawberry, with just over 3% of annual ice cream sales. This second chocolate variety in the top five testifies to American's love of all things chocolate, and has resulted in the development of many spin-off flavors such as Mint Chocolate Chip and Chocolate Chocolate Chip.

Butter Pecan

Butter Pecan ice cream comes in at number five in sales, with 2.8% of the annual ice cream consumption in the US. Butter pecan is a rich, buttery vanilla ice cream base combined with the crunchiness of one of the nation's most popular tree nuts.

Final Thoughts

Ice cream is a very seasonal seller, hitting its peak during the summer months. American ice cream also enjoys a huge demand internationally, being exported to Mexico, Canada, and many other countries.